A new name has rocketed up the betting market to be unveiled as the next James Bond according to bookmakers following Sunday's Golden Globes ceremony.
Hollywood A-listers from across the globe gathered at the 81st Annual Golden Globes Awards to see which stars would win big.
The evening was met with a divisive reception, especially after host Jo Koy fell flat with jokes about Taylor Swift and Robert de Niro.
Some fans watching at home even ended up turning off, branding it a "woke overload" and pleading for Ricky Gervais to return as host next year.
But when it came to the awards, smiles were aplenty as the likes of Gervais himself won alongside the Oppenheimer team, singer Billie Eilish, the Barbie crew and Succession's cast and creators among others.
Now, one award winner has been pinpointed by bookmakers to be a possible Daniel Craig replacement after he lifted a gong of his own on Sunday - Cillian Murphy.
The race to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond has taken yet another major turn
UNIVERSAL PICTURESThe Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders star has rocketed up the betting market with William Hill following his awards win this past week.
He had previously emerged as a candidate when it was rumoured Oppenheimer boss Christopher Nolan would be helming the next instalment but he dampened the rumours when he ruled himself out the running.
But the Golden Globes has reignited speculation that Murphy could don 007's tuxedo next, as William Hill spokesperson, Lee Phelps, explained: "Our search for the next James Bond could have taken another twist, in the form of Cillian Murphy.
"As winner of ‘Best Actor’ at the Golden Globes this week for his strong on-screen performances in recent times, he certainly fits the bill for the iconic role.
Cillian Murphy won Best Actor at the Golden Globes
GETTY
"The 47-year-old has been backed into 10/1 with us to assume the role left by Daniel Craig, putting him in front of previous contenders like Richard Madden and Paapa Essiedu."
However, Phelps did explain that Murphy still faces fierce competition from several other names who've been frontrunners for quite some time.
He added: "Aaron Taylor-Johnson was our favourite for the majority of 2023 and still leads the betting at 6/4, but in true 007 fashion, we can’t help but feel there are more twists to come."
Taylor-Johnson's currently the outright frontrunner with the bookmakers but he's closely followed by Superman star Henry Cavill at 5/2 and Snowfall's Damson Idris at 7/2.
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Further afield, another Nolan collaborator in Tom Hardy is in the mix at 5/1 and Happy Valley's James Norton is priced at the same.
Underdogs in the form of Bridgerton's Rege-Jean Page (11/2), Dev Patel (7/1) and Paul Mescal (7/1) are also in the conversation.
The world of James Bond has hit headlines in recent weeks after the British Film Institute slapped "trigger warnings" on a handful of the classic spy films ahead of their screenings.
The decision was slammed by former Bond girl Jenny Hanley as well as GB News' Nigel Farage and floods of fans online.
